Infatuation at its finest

[Calum Lloyd]

Calum could feel sweat build up in his palms as he walked outside of the duelling chamber after a few wins and a shiny new medal. He felt quite proud of his efforts that day but he knew the feeling wouldn't last too long. What he was about to do was much more nerve racking than sending a hazardous spell towards an opponent. In fact, it was so nerve racking that Calum didn't even know why he was doing it. Why would he ever want to do something that could easily backfire on him? Maybe it was the way she looked at him the last time they met or the way he found himself looking at her? He couldn't have helped but asked her out. The Slytherin felt quite anxious whilst doing so, despite his intrepid attitude, but still wouldn't take it back for all the wins in the world. There was just something about her that made him smile and not many people were ever able to do that. He knew though that his infatuation was probably not mutual as of yet, but making friends was always a good start. Calum hadn't really made many friends during his time at school as he was very much selective with everyone he came across. It seemed like too much of a responsibility to care for others when you were too busy caring for yourself. But he knew it had to be like that eventually and love made him feel like he could anything, even when he probably could not.

The boy kept his hands in his pockets as he walked over to the place where they would be meeting, smiling at the ground at the thought of her. He hadn't told anyone where he was going and he didn't really plan to. He felt like his love life should be kept a secret, not that the girl and him were ever going to fall in love. The Slytherin doubted that such a thing would ever happen. After all, they were only teenagers and it was much too early for them to be thinking about the future. For now, Calum had his mind set on winning as many medals as he could just to rub it in Ortiz's face. It felt good to always do better than her in anything whether it be duelling or simply just an argument whether over something was gold or orange. Nonetheless, the Slytherin felt slightly weird meeting her friend. He just hoped that the girl he was meeting would keep it a secret from Ortiz for now until Calum was comfortable with publicly announcing he had made a new acquaintance.

Calum kept his hands in his pockets as he rested against the pier they agreed to meet at. It was only then that he really remembered her name and the way she said it quite carefully, almost as if she had been practicing for that moment for her entire life. She had a simple name and it didn't require too much effort. Calum began to repeat it in his head so he wouldn't forget, hoping that Pia would remember his name too. He wouldn't know what to think if she showed up and completely forgot what his name was as he really did not feel like introducing himself again. He just wished that the next hour or so was going to be perfect and he hoped that she would like him as much as he liked her.

 

[Pia Morales]

Kylie was a loud, confident person who never shied away from voicing her opinions, especially when it came to Pia's choice in men. She was quick to judge Orwell when Pia first introduced them, whispering to Pia that she could do much better despite Pia insisting they were study buddies who occasionally distracted themselves from words in textbooks and nothing more. Kylie was ever adamant and Pia was sure her Mexican friend would say the same or much, much more about the person she agreed to meet with that day. Luckily Pia managed to escape the subject of Calum and her plans for after the dueling tournament, avoiding mentioning the little meeting to her best friend long enough to escape the building without so much as a question to why she left so quickly and why her steps were hesitant although rushed. Questions were the last thing Pia needed. It would drain her already shaky confidence in Calum's presence and all she wanted was to feel confident on that day so this 'date' or whatever it could be classed as went by without a hitch and she and Calum at least parted ways that day as friends if not more.

Pia hugged her thick winter coat tighter around her body while walking to the pier that was her agreed destination to meet with Calum, wondering why she chose to meet him on a pier of all places in the middle of winter. It definitely wasn't the smartest idea so as she arrived she stood next to one of the lampposts, looking around for Calum's silhouette and also keeping in mind the nearest cafe or restaurant, hoping she could keep her stocking clad legs from freezing long enough to meet the boy and walk somewhere inside to warm herself up. Her eyes managed to land on Calum first and she walked to approach him with a polite smile as she pulled a stray lock of her red hair behind her ear which must have escaped her messy bun in the wind. "Calum. It's good to see you properly." She said, meaning every word as it bothered her to avoid him during the dueling tournament for the sake of supporting her best friend that happened to be his sworn enemy. "You did so well in the tournament." Pia then added, hoping that Calum would suggest they go inside as she felt her toes growing furthermore numb the longer she spent outside. She thought she was dressed appropriate for the cold upon leaving her home in Chile but winter in the United Kingdom was more harsh than she anticipated and she now realized that a think coat on top of a black dress with only stockings to cover her legs wasn't the most practical outfit she could have chosen. It was evidently too late to change that now and Pia was prepared to deal with the cold for another few minutes as she waited for Calum's response. But that of course didn't stop the Chilean from hoping the boy would quickly lead her somewhere inside before she actually did freeze her butt off.​

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[Calum Lloyd]

The unusual feeling Calum had when he finally saw her walking closer was something he couldn't quite explain. He had always considered himself confident and brave but he felt like a completely different person now that she was approaching him. Instead, he felt invincible and complete, which was something he hadn't been able to endure for a while. The Slytherin's heart felt warmer than usual when she used his name and the compliments made him feel superior. Now that she mentioned it, it was good to see her properly too. "Well, tournaments are my thing," he told her rather cockily, hoping she was watching him for the majority of it. "Sometimes it's all about the flick of the wand, and the grip on it too." He flicked his wrist sharply, demonstrating his ability. The Slytherin felt good now after her words, his confidence level rising even more. Calum ran his fingers through his hair, only then realising how bleak the weather was, especially with Pia's big coat making it obvious that she wanted to go somewhere warmer. "So... you want to find somewhere to go?" he asked rather awkwardly, not knowing exactly where to take her. As much as he liked to think it, first impressions weren't always something he was good at, especially when it involved trying to impress a pretty girl who was friends with the girl he didn't much like. Nonetheless, Calum was glad to be taking her with him, and nodded his head in the direction he was going to walk, making sure she'd follow.

Calum kept his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he walked beside her, not really sure whether he should hold her hand. He imagined her hands to be just like a young girl's - soft and delicate, much like her personality. The teen didn't know a lot about her yet but she had been nice to him so far, unlike many of the other people he had come across. That was probably why he liked her so much. Her presence put him at ease, and he stifled a smile, glad that she had decided to show up to meet him on such a cold day. Calum continued to look at his feet as he walked until the ringing of a bell from an opening and closing door had made him look up. He followed the sound to a small restaurant which, upon entering, did not have many people in it at all and was warm enough to hopefully satisfy Pia's chill. The teen picked a table between an old couple eating side by side with one glass of wine each and American tourists that were trying some traditional Welsh food. He smirked at them as he sat down and didn't take his eyes off of Pia as he spoke. "What would you like to eat?" He pushed the menu towards her, willing to get her whatever she desired.

 

[Pia Morales]

Calum's confident stance and tone of voice was infectious. It rubbed off on Pia immediately as she made eye contact with him and spoke in her ever controlled voice. English was of course her second language and speaking it always required a pause before speaking if not slowing down or hesitating her sentences for her accent to be understood. With Calum, Pia did not mind the language gap as much and instead felt confident as he clearly understood her and never asked her to repeat herself. A wide smile formed on her made up lips as Calum demonstrated wrist movements and she unconsciously hugged her coat tighter to her body despite feeling warmer and more comfortable in the boy's presence. "Your grip and wand movements are lovely." She chuckled. During the tournament she focused on both Kylie and Calum however her gaze did linger on him momentarily longer if not to watch him move, to observe the spells he cast and the precise and sometimes violent wand movements that were required in a competitive duel. Pia never found dueling interesting to participate in but being a spectator was an entirely different tier with less danger and adrenaline involved where she could be somewhat of a voyeur as she studied the duels and spell casting closely.

A shiver ran up Pia's spine, forcing her shoulders to shudder in almost perfect timing as Calum suggested they go indoors. She nodded in turn, saying "Yes please!" enthusiastically. The longer she spent in the cold, feeling her extremities become numb, the more frostbite seemed like a possibility. She was glad to nip it in the bud as they began walking and eventually stopped to enter a restaurant. Pia sighed as she left the chilly air to be hit with warmth as she walked inside, immediately taking her coat off as she followed Calum to a table. Before continuing conversation she threw the coat over the back of her chair. She then sat and leaned forward, propping her head up with one of her hands as she rested her elbow on the table. The menu Calum slid in her direction and his tone of voice suggested he wanted to treat her to food. She moved the menu closer, observing it and saying "I would like to eat something I can pay for." in a tone that seemed playful but was serious as she winked at the boy. Though it would be kind of Calum to buy her food she wanted to keep her autonomy and did not want to be told she owed him anything for the gesture at a later date. She hadn't saved up a small amount of money in preparation to spend it during that date for nothing after all.​

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